I'm not a student of Ancient Greek, but there's an inscription on my college's campus that I really want to translate. I was hoping someone here could help me with it. The inscription is: ΟΓΩΣ ΑN ΔIAΣΩIZHTE KAI YMEIΣ THN HMETEPAN ΦIΛIAN

I've managed to trace that to Plato's Laches using Google. It's spoken by Λυσίμαχος (Lysimachus), and the passage containing the quote is 181c.

I've seen two translations of this passage:You ought indeed, on your own part, to have visited us before, and treated us on intimate terms, as you have a right to do: now, however, that we have discovered each other, from to-day onwards you must make a point of sharing our thoughts and getting to know us and our young people also, that you and they may in your turn preserve the friendship of our houses. That, however, you will do yourself, and we will remind you of it another time: but what do you say of the matter on which we began to speak? What is your view? Is the accomplishment of fighting in armor a suitable one for our boys to learn or not?

You ought to have visited us long ago, and made yourself at home with us; but now, from this day forward, as we have at last found one another out, do as I say--come and make acquaintance with me, and with these young men, that I may continue your friend, as I was your father's. I shall expect you to do so, and shall venture at some future time to remind you of your duty. But what say you of the matter of which we were beginning to speak--the art of fighting in armour? Is that a practice in which the lads may be advantageously instructed?

I'm looking for as precise a meaning of that particular phrase as possible. I would appreciate both a literal translation and a more literary/eloquent one (of just those 8 words, not the entire passage). I'm not quite sure I get the meaning of that segment as a stand-alone quote at this point.